Whether you’re shopping for a snowboard online or sifting through the stacks at your local snowboard shop, it can be tough to pinpoint the right ride for you. The sheer volume of enticing options on the market can cause intense decision paralysis, side effects of which include anxiety, dry mouth, and purchasing multiple snowboards when you intended to buy just one.

To help you find the best snowboard, our selfless test crew of 31 riders strapped into 59 men’s and unisex boards at the freeride hub of this past spring to bring you the best snowboards of 2026. Below, you’ll find the best of the best, from versatile all-mountain rippers and intermediate-friendly cruisers to buttery jib boards and freeride machines. Whether you’re looking to snag a new daily driver or completely upgrade your quiver, you can’t go wrong with these picks.

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Snowboarding is supposed to be fun. When you’re on the wrong snowboard—one that doesn’t jive with your size, skill level, riding style, or the conditions or terrain at hand—fun can devolve into frustration. Luckily for you, our selfless test crew of 13 women sifted through 47 women’s and unisex snowboards at the freeride hub of and beyond this past spring to bring you the best snowboards for women of 2026.

Even when testers were analyzing snowboards that didn’t wow them or risking high-speed crashes for the sake of data collection, good times were had. As a group, these were the best snowboards we’ve ever had at our annual test, and more often than not, testers loved the boards under their boots. Below, you’ll find the cream of that impressive crop, from versatile all-mountain decks and intermediate-friendly cruisers to buttery jib boards and freeride machines.

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Midlayers are required to fit an outrageously demanding job description. Unlike the super-puffy parkas and belay jackets that we wear to stay warm while hunkering down, midlayers provide insulation for activity–a role that calls for a true multi-tasker. Its duties include keeping us warm–but not so warm that we overheat during exertion–while also whisking away sweat and shielding us from the elements (should we decide to wear our midlayer as an outer layer, which these toppers must be versatile enough to handle when weather permits). It’s a tall order.

Yet our testing team found six of the best insulated midlayer jackets that check all the boxes. These breathable insulators successfully regulated testers’ temperatures while they skied, hiked, biked, and ran in winter weather conditions. Testers typically sandwiched these jackets over a base layer and beneath a waterproof shell. On climbs or in dry weather when they ditched the shell, testers evaluated these toppers for their ability to shed precipitation and buffer gusts. After testing close to 50 women’s insulated midlayers, we recommend these six standouts.

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In a classic winter layering system, it’s the midlayer that holds the magic. A good midlayer has to breathe, wick, and do most of the insulating for you, even when wet—a level of multitasking you would never ask of another layer. Plus, it’s needed all the time, standing on its own in fair weather and providing hidden, essential warmth under a shell in the worst conditions. With those standards in mind, we set out to find the very best midlayers, from super-breathable backcountry pieces to quilted wool jackets for frigid downhill days.

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You’ve moved past the rental line and are ready to buy your first pair of skis—but with so many options out there, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Good news: there’s no such thing as a bad ski anymore. But there is such a thing as the wrong ski for your ability level.

If you’re still working on technique and building confidence, skip the stiff, high-performance models that top the list of expert reviews. The best skis for intermediate skiers are designed to be forgiving, stable, and easy to turn—helping you progress faster and have more fun on the mountain. They’re also priced more affordably and often come with bindings included, lowering the barrier to entry for this expensive sport.

To help you find the best ski to build your skills and confidence on the slopes, we teamed up with the experts at SKI—who test more than 150 models each season—to round up the best intermediate skis of 2026.

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After four-plus decades since it was invented, fleece is still the undisputed king of breathable midlayers, from fall and winter hiking and mountain biking to skiing and snowshoeing. The fluffy, airy synthetic structure delivers both warmth and ventilation, moving perspiration and excess heat away from your body. But not all fleeces are your dad’s burnhole-riddled Patagonia Synchilla: With more materials and construction styles than ever before, finding the right layer takes some work. We put more than 25 to the test last winter to narrow it down to these six best women’s fleece jackets.

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A modern fleece is essentially a better sweater. It’s lighter and quicker-drying for backcountry travel, but fundamentally does the same job as those fishermen’s cable knit tops of yore: it keeps you warm, even when you’re damp, and breathes well enough to keep you from swamping out.

And the best men’s fleece jackets today are diverse: We tested thicker fleeces for colder temps, breathable fleeces for high-intensity exercise, and even wool-based fleeces for their odor-resistance and comfort. Our crew put these midlayers through the wringer while skiing, running, cycling, and climbing, wearing them with waterproof shells and without. Of the 62 fleeces in our testing pool, only six stood out as the ultimate winter midlayers.

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Base layers for men often don’t get the same sexy headlines, bleeding-edge technological advances, or eye-bulging price points as their outer layers counterparts. But your next-to-skin layer is just as important, arguably more so. The priciest, top-of-the-line Gore-Tex shell won’t do you much good if a soaking wet base layer is chafing your skin and chilling your bones. Picking the best base layers is incredibly nuanced and personal to your location, physical output, and body. We tested 42 new men’s base layers last winter to help you navigate this tough choice.

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When putting together your snowboard kit, no piece of the puzzle is more critical than your boots. The best snowboard boots don’t just connect your body to your board; they’re also the key to on-hill comfort. The wrong boots can cause hot spots, blisters, heel lift, toe bang, or swamp foot—all potential day-ruiners. The right boots, however, can make previously torturous bell-to-bell days no big deal. Not to mention, they can significantly improve your performance on the slopes.

To help point you toward the right pair, we tested 24 boots for the 2025/2026 season during our annual snowboard test, which went down this past spring at Kirkwood Mountain Resort (and beyond). We cross-referenced tester favorites from this year with top models from previous years before putting together this guide to the best snowboard boots. No matter if you’re an all-mountain freestyler or a hard-charging freerider, chances are you’ll find a good fit for you below.

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